September 24, 2014

Gratitude—a grateful attitude in my book, but according to more scholarly sources, it is “the quality of being thankful; a readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” Its origin, from the Latin gratis, means pleasing and thankful. A Google word-usage chart shows a high, in the 1800’s, and steadily declining use of this word, to nearly nada prior to 2010. Seems though, that the word is making a steady comeback in our collective vocabulary, now if we could only spread the attitude along with it!

At MouseHouse Village, there is one little mouseling who is feeling extremely grateful this morning. Little Tina spent the night at Miss Winklesnout’s home, curled up snugly on the maiden-lady’s couch, wrapped in a cozy quilt, her tiny head resting on a balsam-stuffed pillow.

The kindly teacher offered to keep her until the Big Rock School Board made a decision as to where she should stay pending investigation into the whereabouts of her family. So after school, Tina and Miss Winklesnout went home together. Tina enjoyed a warm bath, donning dry clothes donated by some of the children’s mothers, and then ate a delectable dinner at the teacher’s table.

After a quiet evening of reading and resting while Miss Winklesnout corrected papers, she nodded off to sleep. Nestled into the softness of the cushy sofa padding, she was warm, safe-at-last and unspeakably grateful.

Miss Winklesnout arose, tucked a warm quilt around the tiny lump in the corner of her couch, then blew out the lantern, and went off to bed herself.

The CCI (Critter Crime Investigators) have begun their search for Tina’s family. They are a stealthy and thorough team, so answers are sure to follow promptly, but for now, little Tina will be well cared for. It appears she may be the littlest victim of what all woodland creatures fear—family obliteration. While it’s all too common to lose a member here and there, it’s beyond thinkable when all but one or two helpless members are taken. More often than not, those too would die of starvation or exposure.

So MouseHouse Village is grateful too this morning that a vigilant, observant Bitsy found a desperate survivor. Yes, she will be well-cared for.

Now back to finding gratitude in my own experience today…